Multiple chemical sensitivities--chemical sensitivity as a symptom of airway inflammation.

The term multiple chemical sensitivity confuses etiology with diagnosis. Chemical sensitivity is a symptom expressed by patients. The symptoms complex is also expressed by the majority of patients with asthma reactive airway dysfunction syndrome or rhinitis following a single acute exposure, called reactive upper airway dysfunction syndrome. The chemically sensitivity patient merits evaluation for upper airway and bronchial reactivity that may cause extra-airway symptomatology.